Lesson for September 20, 2023
The Book of II Corinthians
Chapter 11:1-10
Verses 1-6
“I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.
Paul used sarcasm to make his points. It must be remembered that Paul was the one who established the church in Corinth. He was the one responsible for winning most of the members to Christ. And he was the one who had taught them Bible doctrine. So, Paul had a very intimate relationship with these believers and many of them had betrayed him by following after the false teachers. In order to wake them up to the reality of their bad decision to believe the lies, Paul used sarcasm.
At the time that Paul was writing to these people, he was expressing a wish. Using sarcasm, Paul expressed his desire that they would bear with him in his senselessness (foolishness). Paul was not being senseless when he warned these believers about the false teachers but was sarcastically saying he was being senseless. It was actually these reversionistic believers who were being senseless (foolish). Paul then said, “you are bearing with me,” which was another sarcastic remark. Really it was Paul who was patiently enduring (bearing) the foolishness of the Corinthians.
For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. The Greek word for betrothed is “harmozo,” which means to fit together or to prepare to unite in marriage. “Married to Christ” is a term in Scripture for a believer who is in union with Christ. A pure virgin refers to a believer who is not corrupted by false doctrine and has not been led away from the truth.
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Negative volition toward accurate Bible doctrine always leads to opening a vacuum in the soul for satanic doctrine. That is exactly what happened in Corinth. The Greek word for minds is “noema,” which means thoughts. From the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ means from accurate Bible doctrine that Paul had taught them.
For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear thisbeautifully. The false teachers persuaded some of these believers that faith alone in Christ was not enough. The “Jesus” the Judaizers preached was not the real Jesus. You bear this beautifully is sarcasm meaning they enthusiastically accepted the false teaching of the Judaizers because they were enamored with the charisma of the false teachers.
For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things. This is sarcasm once again. The Judaizers had claimed to be superior to Paul. While being so-called unskilled in speech, Paul had communicated Bible doctrine accurately. Paul had greater knowledge of the doctrine of grace than any other apostle, and certainly more than the false teachers who actually had none. The things that Paul taught were entirely new, they had never heard anything like this before, and they were initially very interested in what he had to say at the time. However, they allowed themselves to be deceived later.
Verses 7-11
“Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you; and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!”
Paul was once again using sarcasm to make his point. He did not “sin” in teaching them accurate doctrine. Paul humbled himself by working and supporting himself rather than taking money from the wealthy Corinthians. He said that he had “robbed the poor” (the Macedonians and other churches who supported him) to preach to the rich (the Corinthians). This boasting of mine will not be stoppedindicates that Paul was not going to stop preaching the Gospel and teaching doctrine just because he was being criticized by others or because some believers had believed the false doctrine of the Judaizers.
Verses 12-15
“But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”
Paul was going to continue to expose these false teachers and false apostles. Satan is the great counterfeiter of truth, and his ministers disguise themselves as “sheep,” when in fact they are “wolves.” These false apostles were enemies of God and grace, and were following the pattern of Satan, the great deceiver.
Verses 16-20
“Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. For you, being sowise, tolerate the foolish gladly. For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face.”
Since the Judaizers were fools, and since boasting is the characteristic of fools, and since Paul was regarded as a fool, he used sarcasm to make his point. Since fools (false teachers) had got their attention, Paul would “become a fool” so he could get their attention. Paul explained how they had been tolerating the foolish gladly and had been “enslaved” (spiritually speaking) by false doctrine.
Verses 21-22
“To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone elseis bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.”
Paul was regarded by some as contemptible. I speak in foolishness meant that Paul was going to use the tactics of the Judaizers to defend his authority as an apostle. If they respected the “resumes” of the Judaizers, they certainly should respect Paul’s. Without being out of fellowship or arrogant, Paul used his “resume” to refute the claims of the Judaizers. The Judaizers were steeped in Hebrew culture and self-righteous arrogance. Paul, on the other hand, was a humble servant of Christ.
Verses 23-33
“Are they servants of Christ? — I speak as if insane — I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have beenin labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the ruler under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.”
Paul outworked the Judaizers in the ministry by spreading the Gospel, by establishing churches, and by teaching accurate Bible doctrine (more labors). He was imprisoned more often than they were (more imprisonments), and he was beaten more often than they were for spreading the Gospel (beaten times without number). He was in danger of death more often than they were as well (often in danger of death). These are the four general categories of what Paul suffered for the cause of Christ. Then, as we read, he gave them all the details of his sufferings.